【Unlocking Word Meanings】
今日の単語・フレーズ
Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.
1. slot /slɒt/ (n.) – available time that can be used
Example: My favorite show is aired on a night slot.
2. culminate /ˈkʌlməˌneɪt/ (v.) – to be finished or to get to the end
Example: The current NBA season will culminate after the grand finals in June.
3. inventory /ˈɪnvənˌtɔri,
-ˌtoʊri/ (n.) – a list of things or items
Example: Our coach made an inventory of our new sports equipment.
4. amid /əˈmɪd/ (prep.) – in the middle of (something)
Example: A boy ran to the court amid a basketball game.
5. air /ɛər/ (v.) – to show on television
Example: Some TV networks air cartoons in the morning.
【Article】
ニュース記事
Read the text below.
FOX Sports network announced that all slots for the Super Bowl XLVIII (48) advertisements had been filled in.
Super Bowl is the annual championship game between the two best teams in the National Football League (NFL). On February 2, 2014, the NFL’s 2013-2014 season will be culminating in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Two months before the event, FOX Sports has already completed its commercial inventory. Each TV ad costs at least $3.8 million.
Forty-three advertisers bought slots ranging from 30 seconds to two minutes. The placement of the ads is also considered. The brands that will be advertised amid the game include Pepsi Beverages, Mars, Doritos, Wonderful Pistachios, Butterfinger, Anheuser-Busch InBev [an-HOY-ser bush IN-bev], Chevrolet [shev-ro-LEY], Hyundai, Jaguar, Intuit, Oikos, and GoDaddy.com.
Neil Mulcahy [muh l-ka-HI], Executive Vice President of FOX Sports Sales, said the network cannot air any other ads because of the game’s limited commercial breaks. However, other advertisers will be allowed to feature their products in the online live video streaming of the game. Another way is to run their ads before and after the Super Bowl.
The reason behind overpriced advertisements on Super Bowl Sunday can be linked to the event’s very high viewership.
FOX Sports’ most-watched program is its coverage of Super Bowl XLV (45) in 2011, with 111.3 million viewers. It is the second highest viewership in US television history. The most viewed US TV program ever is National Broadcasting Company’s coverage of Super Bowl XLVI (46) in 2012, which had 112 million viewers. The recent 2013 Super Bowl that was aired in CBS Sports had 109.2 million viewers.
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【Viewpoint Discussion】
ディスカッションテーマ
Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.
Discussion A
· Why do you think Super Bowl has high viewership?
· In your opinion, how can an advertisement in a Super Bowl game affect a company’s product?
Discussion B
· What do you think makes an advertisement effective? Please explain.
· Aside from TV advertisements, how else can companies promote their products/services? Please discuss briefly.
